Compound steam-engine



(No Model.)

C. W. JENKNS.

GOMPOUND STEAM ENGINE.

Nol 295,403. Pamselilted Mam, 18, 1884.

INVEN TD R 5MM/wf J9/X5L ff/@MLM ii if@ l nder, whose piston f isconnected with crankit the beneiit of the vacuum in the condenser.

Nrrnn @rares armor @erica OLARECE V. JENKINS, OF SALISBURY,MASSACHUSETTS.

COMPOUND STEAM-ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 295,403, dated March18, 1884.

Application filed October 29, 1883. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom, it may concern: Be it `known that l, CLARENCE W. JENKINS,of Salisbury, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Compound Steam-Engines, whichwill, in connection with the accompanying drawing, be hereinafter fullydescribed, and specically deiined in the appended claims.

This invention relates to an improvement in that class of steam-enginesinwhich are employed both a high and a low pressure cylinder, and inwhich the steam rst exerts its force inthe high-pressure cylinder,afterwhic-h it passes into and acts expansively in the lowpressurecylinder, from whenceit passes into the condenser; and it consists in soconnecting the exhaust-ports of the high-pressure cylinder, by suitableconduits and valvular devices, with the low-pressure cylinder and thecon denser that as soon as the steam, escaping at each stroke from thehigh-pressure cylinder, shall have produced an equilibrium of pressurein the two cylinders it will then, during the rest of the stroke, beexhausted into the condenser without passing into the low-pressurecylinder, thereby relieving the high-pressure cylinder of bach-pressure,and also giving The accompanying drawing is a top or plan view of anengine embodying my invention, certain of the parts being shown insection or in part broken away, the more clearly to show interior partsand their connections.

In said view, A represents the bed of the high-pressure side or engine,and B the bed of the low-pressure engine. C is the crankshaft, and D adriving-pulley mounted thereon, and which is, for purpose ofillustration, assumed to be rotating in the direction of the arrow shownupon it; and, for convenience of explanation, the movement of thepistons in the direction indicated by said arrow will be termed theforward stroke, and their movement in the opposite direction will betermed the returnstroke.H Further referring to said iigure, E representsthe high-pressure cylinder, and c its piston, which is connected withthe crank-shaft by rod c and crank a in the usual manner. F is thelow-pressure cylshaft C by rod d and crank b in the well-known manner. Hrepresents the condenser, and G a receiver, into which the steam passeson its way from cylinder E to cylinder F, and which performs thefunction of asteam-chest to cylinder F. An auxiliary receiver, m. isshown as arranged between cylinder E and the main receiver G, thepassage n between which is closed and opened by valve p, which isactuated through rod s, connected with an eccentric on shaft C, asshown. Said receiver m also communicates with condenser H through portu, which is closed and opened by valve o, actuated by rod w, connectedwith an eccentric on the rock-shaft, as shown, said rod w, forconvenience, moving in a hollow portion of rod s. The steam as it passesthrough port u enters the small chamber t, when it passes into condenserH through passage 4.

The practical operation of an engine einbodying niy invention is asfollows: The piston c ot' the high-pressure cylinder being supposed tobe at or nearly to the extreme point of the return-stroke, where steamwill be admitted through port g, the valve t' is then moved by its rod jto open said port g, and closes port 71, and allowing the exhaust-steamto pass by way of the'cavity in thevalve, in the usual manner, into theexhaust-pipe Z, whence it flows into the auxiliary receiver m, andthence through port n into the main receiver Gand the low-pressurecylinder F, as admitted by its valvular devices. After lapse ofsuftlcient time for the ow of steam from cylinder Eto produce anequilibrium of pressure therein and in the receiver G, valve p is closedand valve o opened by the means stated, whereby the flow of steam intothereceiver ceases, and it is exhausted directly into the condenser,thereby relieving the high pressure piston from the back-pressure, whichwould equal that existing in the receiver and the low-pressure cylinder,and also giving it the beneiit of the vacuum in the condenser. The steamthus admitted into the receiver from cylinder E before valve 1J closesenters the larger cylinder alternately through ports x y, as controlledby valve e, and, after acting on piston j', passes through exhaust-pipe3 into condenser H, all in the usual manner.

Instead of the auxiliary receiver m, the steam from exhaust Z may passdirectly into receiver G; but when arranged as shown valve IOO p is moreconveniently arranged to he held to its seat by steam-pressure; and thesame is true with reference to the small chamber t, through which thesteam passes to the condenser; and, if desired, the receivers may bealtogether dispensed with in a well-known manner, the steam fromcylinder E passing direct-ly into cylinder F.

It will be obvious that instead of exhausting from each cylinder intothe same condenser a separate condenser may be employed for each; andthe valvular devices, air-pump, and other devices usually employed inconnection with a steam-condenser may be of the ordinary constructionand operation. All the parts and devices shown or described may be ofany known kind or construction, and may be changed or varied as desiredresults may-require, as, with the exception hereinabove referred to, andto be hereinafter claimed, all the parts are old and ot' well-knownconstruction and operation; and hence I do not claim the same, broadly,either singly or in combination, save with said exception, and hence Iclaim as my inventionl. In a compound or double-cylinder `engine whereinthe same steam acts iirst in the high and then i'n the low pressurecylinder, the combination, with said cylinders and the condenser. ofsuitable conduits and valvular devices, whereby the steam passing fromthe high to the low pressure cylinder will, without passing through saidlow-pressure cylinder, be diverted into the condenser at or near thepoint or time when the pressure ot' such exhaust-steam has produced anequilibrium of pressure in the two cylinders, substantially as Ispecied.

2. In a compound or double-cylinder engine, the combination, with thehigh and low pressure cylinders and a condenser with suitable conduitsa-nd valvular devices, by which the steam as it is exhausted from thehighpressure cylinder enters and operates in the low-pressure cylinder,of a conduit and automatically-actuated valvular device, whereby whenthe piston in the high-pressure cylinder is at or near the dead-centers,and after the exhaust therefrom has produced an equal pressure in thetwo cylinders, the remaining exhaust-steam in said high-pressurecylinder will be conducted to the condenser without passing through thelow-pressure cylinder, substantially as specified.

3. In a compound engine, the combination of high-pressure cylinder E,low-pressure cylinder F, condenser H, .exhaust-pipe Z, connected withcylinder E, steam-port n, and its valve p, arranged to admit to andexclude from cylinder F the steam issuing from said pipe, steam-port u,with its valve o, arranged to admit to and exclude from the condenserthe steam issuing from said pipe, and a-ctuat-A CLARENCE W. JENKINS.

W'itnesses:

T. NV. PORTER, SIDNEY WETMORE.

